Heating furnace and method of operating the same



May 13-, "1924. 1,493,622 E. L. FORD v HEATING FURNACE AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE SAME Filed May 26. 1922 ZSheefs- -Sheet 1 INVENTOR May 13 1924. 1,493,622

\ E. L. FORD HEATING FURNACE AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE SAME Filed May 26. 1922 Z Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR \D I I MZW QVWMC Patented May 13, 1924.

UNIT

EDWARD L. FORD, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

HEATING FURNACE AND METHOD OE OPERATING THE SAME.

Application filed May 26,

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, EDWARD L. Form, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Youngstown, in the county of Mahoning and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Heating Furnaces and Method of Operating the Same, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The present invention relates broadly to billet or ingot heating furnaces, and more particularly to continuous recuperative fur naces forthis purpose, and to a method of operating the same.

At the present time it is customary in the art to which this invention relates, to heat ingots, billets and the like in continuous furnaces whlch are usually of the recuperative type. In these furnaces the amount of heat/which can be taken up by the billets being heated is only limited by the tempera ture at which they will stick or weld together. As the billets are usually pushed through the furnace by placing the same directly or indirectly in contact, it has heretofore been customary where welding heats are required, to discharge the billets from the first furnace and recharge the same into a second furnace. This has required the separate heating and maintenance of two different furnaces for bringing each billet to the desired temperature.

-By the present invention I overcome the heat limitation in a single furnace, and also obviate the necessity of utilizing a plurality of separate furnaces, as has heretofore been done, the billets being raised to a welding temperature in a single furnace.

As the present invention may be carried out with a number of different forms of furnaces, it will be understood that the accompanying drawings'a-re illustrative only and are not to be taken as defining the limits of my invention.

In the drawings,-

Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view through one form of furnace, illustrating diagrammatically one embodiment of the present invention; and v Figure 2 is a similar view illustrating anotherembodiment of the invention.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figure 1, there is provided a furnace 2 having a heating compartment in which is 1922. Serial No. 563,756.

located a hearth 3, and welding compartments in which are located welding hearths 4;. The hearths t constitute, in effect, continua-tions of the heating hearth 3.

' The furnace is of the continuous recuperative type, having a charging opening 5 at one end into which the cold metallic bodies,

hereinafter referred to generically as billets, are introduced and then fed over the hearth 3 in the direction of the arrow at. The flame for heating the billets is directed any well known manner through the openings 6, and travels in the direction of the arrows 7), first over the welding hearths 4L and then over the heating hearth 3 in direction opposite to the travel of the billets thereover. In this manner it will be apparent that there is provided a gradually decreasing temperature from the lame end of the furnace to the charging end. 7

The billets B, in accordance with the usual practice, are pushed over the hearth 3 by the direct contact between the same, as illustrated in the drawings, or by the indirect contact, as shown, for example, in the patent to Nan, No. 694,569, of March 4, 1902. In either case, the feeding is effected by the action of one of the billets on another, and may be continued until such time as the billets reach a temperature at which they tend to weld. At this time it is the practice, where a welding heat is desired, to discharge the billets from the furnace and recharge the same into a separate furnace wherein the temperature is such as to raise the billets to a welding heat. This operation requires two furnaces each of which requires a separate heating system and represents a considerable up-keep factor.

In accordance with the present invention, the "billets may be discharged from the hearth 3 through the opening 7 just before a welding temperature is reached. They are then immediately recharged onto one or the other of the welding hearths 4 and main tained in spaced relation. This recharging operation may be accomplished by any suitable crane 8 mounted in such manner as to be moved as required to effect the charging operation and to permit the drawing of the billets when a desired temperature has been reached. On the hearths 4f the billets are further subjected to the same source of heat to which they were subjected on the hearth in a single furnace ob'viatedfandit iis possible With a singlesouree of heat to economically raise the temperature ofthe billets to a Welding heat.. Byproyiding a plurality of hearths a it"will be apparent thatthecapacity of the furnace is increased, thereby making it,..possible to, efliciently handle in spaced relation thebilletsfdischarged from the heating hearth the d-irectaction ofon-eof the billets against another. I b V ,4 i, I 111 Figure 2fthere is illustrated, v a slightly modified form :of furnace having therein a continuous hearth constituting -a v heating portionfii and a elding portion tfli The b-illetsP/hmay be gfed over the hearth: portion 3; by the direct action ofloneofi the billets against another,- as before; set forth, this. feedingqaction being continuedv until the billets reach a. temperature .just'below the Welding temperatures" They. may then be i drawn from the furnace i by the crane 8 and immediately recharged onto the hearth portions in spacedirelation by acrane 8 The heating flame may enter thefurnace i through the; Obening 6- andj travel: in: the 5' direction of the arrows I), first over the weld,- ingihearth 4 and then; over the heating hearth J3-,,wvhe'reby the temperature ofathe billets isgraduallyraised,,: i-This form of my invention also, obviates the heat limitation ina single furnace, and makes it possible to reach a Welding 1 .temperature With a single source of heat, thereby maintaining all of: the advantages :ofa

continuous recuperative' furnace.

111 .the method ofheating billets, the st'eps'consisting in heating a furnace and a furnace extension to provide: awgraduall y varying temperature fromendJto endithereof,charging-the billets into the furnacelat the low temperature end,yfeedin'g the'same through the furnace prop'erby thedirect action of one billet on another; then remor in 'g the billets from thefurnace-and placing'them, :in a "manner toi minimize Wearand tear on the hearth, in separated positions in the furnace extension to raise the same to a Welding heat, substantially as described. 2. In the method of heating billets, the steps consisting in supplying heat to a furnace I extension, passing the heat through reg ons of gradually decreasing temperature to' an outlet atthafeeddn end of a billet furnace, feeding a roW of billets from the'low" temperature end of the furnace through and out of the furnace proper, and recharging the vbillets, in a mannerto minimiZe Wear and tear on the heartli, 'inseparated positions in the higher temperature furnace extension, substantially as diibedl A, furnaceand a furnace extension hav ing commonhcating means arranged to the extension to", a higher, temperature than the furnace proper, means forfeednig a row of billets through and out of the furnace' proper, and means for re-cha-rging the bil lets in separated positions, ina mannerf to minimize Wear and tear on the heartln in the furnace extension, substantially as de scribed. i i i The combination ivitlraheating furs substantially as described.

In the method of 5 steps consistingin heating a furnace and a furnace vextension to .fprovide a gradually varyingv temperature from end tov end vthere of, charging the billets-into the furnace at the lo temperature end, -:,feeding the same through the vfurnace:properiby the direct action of one billet on another, removing the billets from the furnace and moving them to positions outsidethe furnace ,exten; sion 1 opposite the positions which they are toloccupy in "said extension, andlthen in-; serting said billets in separated positions in said extension to raise the: sa;1neto ;a-.weldin g heat, substantially as described. l

' In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set 

